What you need to know for this summer

Looking at the calendar yesterday, I was shocked. Is it July already?! The start of the year has gone by incredibly fast. And now, summer is coming at us with a speed faster than light (as you can see, my drama-level increases with the temperature). For many of us, summer means having a well-deserved break from work, school etc. A break that we all spent differently.

But still, a summer that can go many ways. For me, summer means spending time with the people I love, going on adventures and work on myself (and my goals). But summer also means thinking. I think a lot when summer comes. When I hear all these things people are going to do, places they are going to go, outfits they have bought, I start to compare my summer with theirs and it does not make me feel miserable.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love summer. But that doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t have been great if someone had told me certain things before the thoughts started bugging me. But after a couple of years, I’ve figured them out and they are now yours to read.

Hopefully you are having a good summer, because you deserve to. Sit down for a couple of minutes and read what you need to know for this summer.

What you need to know for this summer

Your body shape & your weight are okay

They are not something you should be worrying about, because they are yours. Perhaps you don’t realize it and neither did I before, but your body is keeping you alive. Your body has gotten you through your lowest and highest moments yet and it has beaten so many illnesses you don’t even know of. You need to learn to accept your body, the way it has been given to you. This doesn’t mean you can’t go to the gym or change it, though. But you don’t have to feel ashamed of your body. So go ahead, swim in that swimsuit & show of your body. Because it is yours and it is beautiful.

This break is the time to experiment

It is the period where you can do anything you want – you don’t have to go to work the next morning! Try a new style, cook different recipes, dye your hair, swim with sharks, go crazy! Okay, okay, you get my point. I wouldn’t go swimming with sharks either. But you get it, right? This period of time is for you, so don’t waste it. Have some fun with change. What do you want to experiment this summer?

Achieve your goals this summer

These months are the months where you are going to set steps. Major steps. You cannot procrastinate any longer and you need to work on your goals. Because nothing is more beautiful than achieving what you have dreamt of so long. Throughout the first months, you probably have made a (huge) to-do list that you haven’t gotten around to. Now is the time to cross some things off that list.

Learn to enjoy things

Ask yourself the question: when you were doing something, did you enjoy it or were you there? Did you take in the joy or did you just laugh and talk? This summer, try to be aware of what you are doing. When you are out with friends or watching a movie, try to pick 5 things that you will remember. The room you are in, the people you are with, the smell, temperature, how you are feeling, anything that you can associate with what you are doing. So when you think back, you will see the memory so much more vividly. It will increase your memory and give you much more things to look back to.

Drink enough water

Make yourself feel pretty

Let this be your example!

One of the things we all struggle with is feeling pretty now and then. This summer, wear whatever you feel beautiful in and don’t apologize for it. You have nothing to apologize for. Enjoy what you are wearing and love yourself for it.

Express your feelings towards others

You never know how much people need to hear they are validated and loved. So even if it feels uncomfortable at first, just tell someone you love them. You can do it subtly or straight forward, no matter in what way. Make sure the people close to you know how much they mean to you. This will improve your relationship with them. But besides compliments, it is also important to speak up if someone else makes you feel uncomfortable. As it may feel scary to do, standing up for yourself and creating a better environment for yourself is a major factor to bettering your life. So take a deep breath, be calm and talk to the person who hurts you. Say the things you would regret not saying if you couldn’t speak anymore. Be honest.

It’s okay to not be okay

Don’t let pressure from other people come down on you and focus on yourself. It is okay to not want to go out and it is okay to feel whatever you feel. Don’t hide it, embrace it and let the emotion simply be an emotion. Let it flow and if you need to, let it out. Cry, talk to someone, be overdramatic. It is okay. Don’t feel like you are a bad person for not enjoying this summer, but try your best. If you are trying, you are the bravest person.

Express your gratitude

As summer goes on, we tend to go through the days without taking a breath. This summer, try to stop and breathe for a minute and express your gratitude. For the weather, your sister, water, food, anything that you are grateful for.

Do the things you are scared of

Don’t make yourself regret not doing something later. If you have the opportunity to go past your comfort zone and do something you are scared of, do it. This will give you so much experience + it makes you a better person.

Love yourself

As a summary of the past 10 points, love yourself. Love yourself when you feel pretty, when you don’t, when you are happy, and when you are not. If you do something scary, congratulate yourself. Have drunk enough water today? Great! Find the beauty in little things and love yourself for who you are.

What are your plans this summer? Let me know!

With all these points written down, I hope you have the most marvelous summer & you fall in love with the world & yourself a bit more!

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